ERP software has been a game changer in the industry. It allows you to take full advantage of all the good that comes with the information age and propel your enterprise into the future. ERP systems are a great way to make organising the various aspects of your enterprise much easier and faster, which will, in turn, bring in more money to you. In fact, many companies decide to develop their own ERP software to make sure their needs are met to the most precise degree. Here are some tips on how to get that kind of project off the ground!
1 Develop a vision and stay true to it
While this may seem obvious, it bears repeating: before you even set out to develop the blueprint for your ERP software, you need to know what you want to achieve through it. Most commonly, ERP systems are used to give a leg up to sales, customer service, accounts, HR, and various other aspects of the company. However, you may not want or need to focus on all of them, so it’s important to know exactly what you want to achieve before you go out and decide the software to get it.
Once you’ve established your goals and objectives, you need to keep it in mind as you design your blueprint to decide the path your ERP project will take. This step is crucial as not only will it determine the entire direction of your development, but it’s simply impossible to progress without it.
2 Consider the hardware
In terms of hardware, the first big question you have to answer is whether you want to host the system in-house or using cloud software. While there are various arguments for and against both options, we believe that the optimal course of action is cloud-based ERP. It’s the option chosen by most business and it’s easy to notice why. It’s much more cost-effective, as you don’t need to invest in hardware to make it work – this makes it a perfect choice for smaller businesses or those just starting out. Add to that the fact that such software can then be accessed from anywhere, so even if your team grows and you need more work stations, you won’t need to invest in expensive hardware to run it.
3 Keep software needs in mind
Once you’ve decided on the hardware, it’s time to handle all software-related issues. In essence, this is the stage at which you decide which functions and features will be built into the system. You need to ensure that all information processing is handled automatically – otherwise, the ERP system really doesn’t serve its purpose well. Make sure there are many different interfaces so that information can be passed more easily between systems. Keep in mind the three tiers – data, business, and presentation – and keep in mind that you must ensure everything is functioning properly on the lower layers before you move on to the more representative aspects of the software.
4 Use what you already have
In order to work on anything, you need the right tools. You might be surprised that you already have some tools at your disposal. You can now choose from a range of software packages, database embedded technology, ERP development environments, and various other technology that you can find on the web, all of which will help the process of implementing an ERP system easier.
5 Pace yourself
Don’t rush things and don’t push your two developers to do the work of a ten-person team. Implementing an ERP system properly takes a long time, with a lot of dedication required to truly make it work. So make sure you don’t rush things and manage your time, resources, and money as efficiently as you can. It’s a long-term investment, but one that’s bound to pay off handsomely.